Wrestling turned Rohskopf around, and now it's paying off

West Holmes senior has eye on the top prize

MILLERSBURG-- Max Rohskopf's passion for wrestling and dedication to the sport have been rewarded big time. The three-time state qualifier for the Knights is taking aim at becoming the third wrestler in West Holmes school history to win a state championship. And from there, he will be taking his talents to North Carolina State to wrestle for the Wolfpack.

Rohskopf has come a long way from being the troublemaker who spent most of his younger days in school in the principal's office to someone who is focused and driven.

Rohskopf took up wrestling in middle school and has totally devoted himself to the mat.

"I love the sport. I love everything about it," said Rohskopf. "When you are out there on the mat, you have no one else. It's all on you. You have no one to blame but yourself if you lose. I like that aspect of it.

"I think everyone needs to find something they're passionate about and roll with it, no matter what it is," he added. "It doesn't have to be a sport. It can be drama or whatever. Find something you love to do and do it the best you can. That's what I'm doing."

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As the season progresses and his high school career comes to a close, Rohskopf looks ahead with a little trepidation.

"I'm a little nervous, but I'm confident I'm preparing myself for the state tournament," he said. "After the state tournament, I've got the senior nationals. Hopefully I can place high there and be nationally ranked."

But Rohskopf has one hurdle to finish: the state tournament.

He is looking to become a four-time state qualifier this year. After going two-and-out his freshman year at 119 pounds, he finished seventh his sophomore season at 130 and last year he placed third at 138. He is favored to bring home the gold this season at 145 pounds.

"The thing about the state tournament, many guys who are supposed to win it don't," West Holmes coach Jeff Woods said. "I'd rather be lucky than good any day down there. But, at the same time, I think he has done what it takes to win. He has positioned himself to win it. I think Max has what it takes."

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The West Holmes coach says he can't take any credit for what Rohskopf has accomplished in his wrestling career, except for maybe steering him in the right direction.

"He was a regular visitor in my office," Woods, the West Holmes Middle School principal said. "He came out for wrestling in junior high. It was sometime between his eighth-grade and freshman year, he discovered that he didn't need anybody else to push him along. He decided he was going to go everywhere and anywhere he could find to improve, and he did.

"If you look at any of our kids who are up there on the wall, state whatever, you've got to have it inside of you to want to be better," Woods continued. "I can help then to get there, but they have to do the extra work. It's not a 9-5 job. If everybody worked out from 3 to 5, how would you ever get ahead of everybody else. It is a year-round commitment. Bigger guys can play football and things like that, but for the most part, it comes from in here," he said pointing to his chest. "When we get through this next month and a half, I think he'll be ready to go to college. He's found an avenue that got him a ride to college. He got his grades all up. He has done everything it takes."

Thanks to some good words from his friend and Ohio Cardinal Conference foe Jacob Kasper of Lexington, first-year coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack wrestling program Pat Popolizio heard about Rohskopf.

"My friend Jacob, who is going to Duke, talked to the coach about me when he was on a visit to North Carolina State," Rohskopf said. "That kind of got me a visit, and once I went down for a visit, they were sold on me."

"Lexington has maybe four guys at Duke and another guy at North Carolina," Woods said. "Those three colleges (Duke, University of North Carolina and NC State) are all within 15 minutes of each other. It will be good for him to have somebody to visit with. I think this is a great opportunity for Max to go down there and start new."

Popolizio has a history of turning programs around. He turned Binghamton into a national contender in six seasons after inheriting a team that went 0-12 after its reinstatement. It is hopeful he can do the same with the Wolfpack.

"Pat is a builder of programs and of young men," Dr. Deborah Yow, Director of Athletics at NC State said in a release on the new coach. "He was an outstanding collegiate performer at Oklahoma State and is a proven teacher and mentor as a head coach. He will lead Wolfpack Wrestling to compete for ACC titles and, eventually, the national championship."

North Carolina State has taken over a hotel and turned it into a dorm for the athletes.

"It's a whole new coaching staff. Coach Popolizio turned Binghamton around into a national power," he continued. "I am looking forward to being part of his turnaround at NC State."

Rohskopf says he has benefited over the years from having great workout partners at West Holmes. The last few seasons he worked out with another state qualifier, Marshall Overholt, and this year he is working with Matt Schlegel.

"Matt Schlegel, our 160-pounder, is my workout partner now," Rohskopf said. "He's a real tough kid. He's a good friend even when we're not practicing. We started wrestling together about the same time back in junior high. During practice, he makes a point to push me. I'm making him better and he's making me better."

"I think he's feeling a little like Colt did, when you get to that point where it's hard to be a leader on a team when people don't do what you want them to do or expect them to do because he works out pretty hard," Woods said. "He gets frustrated easy. He has really worked hard. Once you start having some success, it's catchy. It's like lifting weights and looking in the mirror and you see muscles growing, and you just want to keep lifting.

"Good wrestlers are cocky on the mat. If you don't think you're better than everybody else, you're not going to win," Woods added. "You've got to have some swagger, and it's hard to turn that on and off."

Rohskopf has put together an impressive season so far this year, posting a 26-1 record, including MVP performances at Top Gun and the Knights Invitational.

"Top Gun was a pretty big weekend. The kid I wrestled in the finals I expect to see again at state, possibly," Rohskopf said.

The one loss he suffered this season, in the championship bout at the Medina Invitational, was against St. Ed's Edgar Bright, one the top-ranked wrestlers in the state in Div. I. It was a good learning experience for Rohskopf.

"That match made me realize what I really needed to work on," he said. "I've got to get better on my feet. I need to get faster and stronger and my takedowns need to be better. I dominate kids on the mat from top-bottom position, but I have trouble on my feet."

Rohskopf hopes to some day compete for an Olympic medal.

"I'm planning on majoring in nutrition science," he said. "I'd like to be a nutritionist. I think it would also be cool to be a college coach, maybe. Ultimately, if I work hard enough, I'd like to compete to be an Olympian. It's not for everyone. There's only one spot per weight class. That would be the ultimate goal."

Kevin Lynch can be reached at 330-674-5676 or klynch@the-daily-record.com.